It is remarkable to think that with the staging of last weekend’s FWD Champions Day meeting, the Hong Kong racing season has entered the final quarter of what has already been an extraordinary 2024/25 campaign.
Today’s meeting at Sha Tin is the 68th of the term as we count down to the season finale at Happy Valley on 16 July and, while there is so much yet to unfold over the next 21 meetings, this season has been outstanding from an elite performance perspective.
When reflecting, it barely seems possible 638 races have already been decided this season and almost eight months have transpired since KA YING RISING served notice of a scorching ascent to status as the world’s best sprinter with his stunning win in the Class 1 HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap (1200m) with a record winning weight of 135lb on the opening day of the season.
This amazing four-year-old closed his season in style last Sunday with a 12th consecutive win – including eight this term, twice breaking the 1200m track record – with victory in the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) to complete a perfect campaign, drawing global acclaim and underscoring the world-class quality of Hong Kong racing.
In any other season, KA YING RISING would be a clearcut choice as Hong Kong’s most outstanding racehorse this season but ROMANTIC WARRIOR’s effort to win two Group 1s as well as post two narrow seconds in two of the Middle East’s most important Group 1 races, plus a Group 2 victory at Sha Tin, is also an exceptional body of work.
ROMANTIC WARRIOR broke Meydan’s 1800m course record with G1 Jebel Hatta victory and while narrowly vanquished by FOREVER YOUNG in the G1 Saudi Cup (1800m, dirt), he also bettered the existing track record in Riyadh before his photo-finish second in the G1 Dubai Turf (1800m).
Given the logistical challenges ROMANTIC WARRIOR faced abroad, the achievements of Hong Kong’s global champion are truly exemplary and it is hardly surprising comparisons over the merits of individually brilliant seasons by Hong Kong’s top-rated horses are already underway.
With three Group 1 wins this season and a slender defeat in last Sunday’s G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m), VOYAGE BUBBLE is also a titan of Hong Kong racing – and his season is not yet over.
Ricky Yiu’s flagbearer has won at 1600m and 2000m at the highest level this season with and should he clinch the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) on 25 May, he would become the first horse since River Verdon in 1994 to win G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m), G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) and the Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup in the same season and claim a HK$10 million bonus for completing the Triple Crown.
The collective achievements of these three champions – along with the expertise of our trainer and jockey cohorts and the many emerging horses they are developing – underlines the strength and quality of Hong Kong’s world-class racing.
Today’s (Sunday, 4 May) Sha Tin meeting marks the appearance of four horses – MICKLEY, STEPS AHEAD, BUNDLE AWARD and NOISY BOY – who ran in the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) in March and it will be fascinating to see how they fare against older rivals.
MICKLEY (Zac Purton) and STEPS AHEAD (Luke Ferraris) contest the Class 2 Hillwood Handicap, which is carded as Race 4 and run over 1600m at 2pm, while BUNDLE AWARD and NOISY BOY will run in the G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup Handicap, which is carded as Race 8 at 4.05pm and will be run over 2400m with prizemoney of HK$4,200,000.
The speed in the Queen Mother Memorial Cup will be good to slow with WINNING DRAGON (Alexis Badel) the likely leader. LA CITY BLANCHE (Brenton Avdulla) and NOISY BOY (Jerry Chau) should be next followed by BUNDLE AWARD (Zac Purton) and BRAVEHEARTS (Matthew Poon) with FIVE G PATCH (Hugh Bowman) in his usual running position at the tail of the field.
BRAVEHEARTS has won three times this season over 1600m and 2000m. He had three months off and resumed on 20 April, finishing sixth to CALIFORNIATOTALITY over 1800m. He is working well and finished strongly in his last race as well as being a Group 1 winner over 2400m in Argentina makes him my first choice for a win and place.
BUNDLE AWARD won impressively over 1800m on 9 March when he raced at the back of the field and finished powerfully to win his way in to the BMW Hong Kong Derby field. In the Derby, he was not suited by a slow pace and was not beaten far in seventh place behind CAP FERRAT. Last start, BUNDLE AWARD was slowly away and ran home from the back of the field to finish fourth over 1800m to CALIFORNIATOTALITY on 20 April when held up for a clear run in the straight. BUNDLE AWARD is not proven at the distance but his class makes him a place chance.
WINNING DRAGON also won over this trip as a three-year-old and has raced consistently well this season, including an excellent fourth to VOYAGE BUBBLE in the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup on 23 February. At his most recent run, WINNING DRAGON settled midfield and stayed on to finish seventh over 1800m in the same race as BUNDLE AWARD and BRAVEHEARTS on 20 April. WINNING DRAGON is a place chance.
LA CITY BLANCHE and FIVE G PATCH have both been disappointing in recent starts but finished first and second, respectively, in this race last year. They aren’t racing in as good as form as 12 months ago and were well beaten in the race won by CALIFORNIATOTALITY on 20 April, but may improve extending to 2400m.
NOISY BOY has won two races this season up to 2200m but was caught wide on a relatively slow pace and never ran into the race when last in the BMW Hong Kong Derby on 23 March. NOISY BOY has won his last trial and seems to have come back in form and should enjoy going up to 2400m.
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